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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 86 Comments · by

Finally Friday: Beast Leather Passport Case

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Coach Dinosaur Passport CaseI don’t travel internationally enough to justify an $80 passport case, but if I did, man would I be considering this one. I love the colors; Coach leather is generally reliably good, and I feel like my boys would get a kick out of it while they’re small, and perhaps could even use it themselves when they get a bit bigger. (It’s also available in black with what looks like greenish T-Rex to me.) It was $125, but is now marked to $83 as part of the Nordstrom Winter Clearance Sale, which ends on 2/26. We just did another major roundup of shoes for work still in the winter #nsale — tons of cute pumps, booties, and flats. Pictured: COACH Beast Leather Passport Case Psst: oooh: Coach has more “beast” products, including an iPad sleeve and a wristlet. Sadly none are on sale, but: good products to stalk on sale. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 9.10.24

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
  • J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything
  • Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs

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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!

Comments

  2. Anon in NYC says

    Water at night question. My toddler was sick a few weeks ago and I gave her a cup of water to keep in her crib overnight for several days, which we normally don’t do. Predictably, her diaper was very full / soaked through the following morning. If she has access to the water, she’ll drink it. She’s now healthy again, but still asks for a cup of water. On the one hand, I’m okay with giving her a cup – I would hate to wake up thirsty in the middle of the night without access to water – but on the other hand, I have potty training in the back of my mind. She’s not ready to potty train yet, and I know staying dry overnight is often just a physical readiness issue and could be years down the line, but I don’t want to be sabotaging myself/her. Thoughts? Is this one of those things where I should just give her the cup and worry about it later?

    • AnonMN says

      I would give her the cup and worry about it later, based on things it seems like you already know: overnight potty training is a physical readiness thing so a cup of water shouldn’t hurt anything. Another thing is that her being hydrated will actually help with potty training, as constipation, at any level, can really throw a wrench in the poop side of training.

    • Anonymous says

      “I know staying dry overnight is often just a physical readiness issue” — it’s a brain-bladder connection. Just as you can’t force your child to start walking, you can’t force your child to stay dry overnight. Do not worry about this at all; give her the water she needs and make sure she isn’t constipated.

    • EB0220 says

      I would also give her the cup and not worry about it. My 2 year old has been day-trained 6+ months but still wet a night and I’m not concerned. She’ll figure it out when her body is ready.

      • Anonymous says

        If you’re still checking for replies: If the amount of fluid in the diaper is causing an issue, I recommend giving her the cup but with just a couple of ounces of water

        Two of my kids MUST sleep with a sippy cup. One of them will sip only whatever they want, the other will drink whatever they have until it’s empty. The latter needed to have limited water in order to night train.

        IME, night training happens ~3.5, regardless of day training, so I wouldn’t worry about until they are at least reliably day trained.

  3. Paging TK says

    TK – I responded to your post about growth issues pretty late in the day yesterday, so you may not have seen it. I’m not sure whether it’s actually helpful, but we’ve gone through something similar with my daughter.

    • TK says

      I did see that – thank you. I’m becoming more convinced that this was an overreaction on the doctor’s part, since little TK was measured on the wall vs. lying down which results in different numbers.

      Nonetheless, we do have both Celiac and thyroid issues in the family so it’s better to know sooner rather than later if this is something we need to get treatment for.

      Thanks for sharing your family’s story.

    • TK says

      Yes, thanks for sharing you family’s story.

      Its totally possible that this was an overreaction on the part of the doctor – little TK has previously only been measured lying down and yesterday was standing up, which will result in some different numbers.

      Nonetheless, we do have both Celiac and thyroid issues in the family, so better to know sooner rather than later if this is something he’s going to need treatment for.

  4. Family Passport cases ? says

    Are family passport cases a thing? We have three kids who are dual citizens. DH and I aren’t but that still means we travel with 8 passports. Has anyone seen a passport case that holds multiple passports? Even a case that holds 4 would be great.

    I glamorously travel with them in a ziploc freezer bag right now. Sigh.

  5. HSAL says

    Spinning off of a thread from yesterday, are there any good outdoor toys if you don’t have a lot of space? We’ve got a patio that’s maybe 8×8, along with a shared driveway that she can run around in, and that’s pretty much
    it. I’m planning on a water table but wasn’t sure if there were any other good options for a small space.

    • Cate says

      Thanks for the suggestions from yesterday! Water table sounds like a must and I am totally doing a raised bed based on the suggestion – we’d talked about it but weren’t sure ho wmy 2 year old would react, so I love that someone else had fun with it!

      For small space, sidewalk chalk! Bubble machine.

      • shortperson says

        she got excited about the raised beds after we read “the carrot seed” by ruth krauss. we have a few other gardening board books as well.

    • CHJ says

      Kiddie pools are really great too. You can get inflatable ones if you’re short on space. We throw in a bunch of bath toys and my son is happy.

      Also, a Little Tike car (the classic red/yellow ones). That’s always the first toy to be occupied when my son has friends over.

  6. BabyBoom says

    We are very lucky to have found an amazing babysitter/ mother’s helper. She has asked for more hours and we have the funds to pay for it. She is comfortable doing the kids’ laundry and dishes. What else should we get her to do to make our lives easier? Assuming at this point we have extra hours where we don’t need her to actually watch the children.
    I know this is an awesome problem to have, but I don’t want to ask her to do anything inappropriate (like I think having her do our laundry isn’t right). And being a new parent, I know I’m probably not thinking of things that would be painfully obvious to others. For context, we got custody of 2 under 2 with very little notice.

    • Anon in NYC says

      Preparing meals for the kids, if she isn’t already? Straightening up the playroom / kids rooms? Extra babysitting so you can have a date night, or perhaps taking the older kid to a gymboree type class.

    • Anonymous says

      1. Meal Prep – This might help a lot. Like if you want to make fajitas when you get home, have her chop the ingredients and put them in the fridge. Or chop up fruits/veggies into snack size for toddler that she can feed during the week or you can feed on weekends.

      2. Grocery Shopping – Obviously she can’t buy a lot with two under two in tow, but my two year old LOVES to go to the grocery store – so if she did a midweek run for fresh produce and milk, then you might be able to shop for non-perishables every second week which would free up your time a bit. Or if you have grocery delivery, you can ask her to put everything away and update the list.

      3. Tidying – washing the kids toys/floors in playroom/living room area and changing sheets on the kids beds (or your bed as well if you feel comfortable) are other ideas.

    • AEK says

      This sounds so helpful! If I were in your position, I think I’d consider gauging her comfort level with dinner prep (like having everything chopped for you, if she’s into cooking), doing family dishes and not just the kids’ (unloading the dishwasher is the bane of my existence for no reason), trash/recycling, keeping kids’ rooms cleaned, and even grocery shopping if she can get there with the kids or while you’re home with them. Really whatever light cleaning she might be comfortable with (outside your bedroom). I don’t know, maybe I’m thinking too much “personal assistant” and not enough “mother’s helper.” Also being there for the cable guy / plumber etc. when you’re not home, if she’s over 18. Making appointments?

      • AwayEmily says

        Cooksmarts or a similar service might be especially useful here since it does all the grocery list/prep instructions work for you.

    • Famouscait says

      In addition to meal prep, have her make meals to put in the freezer, if you have space. Buy bulks fruits and veggies and have her do the chopping and pureeing (if you need baby food)

      Fill handsoap dispensers, stock tp in bathrooms; restock diapers and wipes, etc.

      If you have an outdoor space, sweep the porch/deck/etc. Clean the trash/toys/random items out of your car.

      Collect households trashcans, tranfers to outdoor bins, gather recycling, etc.

      Anything in the kitchen is fair game: un/load diswasher, organize pantry, stock paper napkins/towels, clean the fridge.

      Mail packages/visit the post office as needed.

    • Anonymous says

      Basic housekeeping? It depends on your comfort level. Maybe don’t have her full-scale clean the bathrooms, but clean floors make me feel a lot more sane so asking someone to sweep and vacuum would help me feel a lot better about the state of the house. Definitely emptying garbage cans (and diaper pales!).

    • Meg Murry says

      Just have her come over on a weekend or weeknight to plan with the kids while you are there so you can get housework of your own done (or taxes, filing, cleaning out your closet, prepping freezer meals, etc)

      Come play with one kid (or take them on a outing) so you can have some one on one time with the other. So Tuesday night is special Baby-boom/Oldest kid time while youngest plays with sitter, and then Thursday is the opposite, for instance, or alternating Saturday afternoons.

      Do you have spring/summer clothes for them yet? Could you give her a budget and send her to out to shop for them? Or organize hand-me-downs if you got a bunch of those?

      Other kid relates errands? Restocking diapers, wipes, etc?

      Assembling IKEA furniture in a play room? Extra babyproofing (strapping dressers to wall, etc)?

    • Anon in NOVA says

      I know you were posting about preschool/daycare etc. before, so my suggestions are assuming they’re in daycare. If they’re not, sorry!

      Errands. aka you signed up to send in oranges for the preschool’s teacher lunch, and the mother’s helper picks them up for you along with a few other groceries. Getting valentines done (this is more relevant next year when they’re older), those sorts of things. Picking out teacher/daycare provider gifts and purchasing at the end of the year? Picking up cards for people (it’s so and so’s birthday and you’re seeing them for dinner tonight and haven’t gotten a card yet, etc.).

      Organizing the childrens’ toys etc?

      Are you willing to pay her to spend an hour looking up activities/classes in the area she can take them to? So she can look up the libraries in the area that have story time, if local parks and rec has anything coming up, etc. She can even research stuff YOU can take them to! It may save you some work/headache.

    • In House Lobbyist says

      We have a high school babysitter that wants as many hours as she can get since she’s saving for college. She helps with our laundry – she washes, dries and folds; she sweeps/vacuums; she changes the kids sheets; she helps organize the toy area; she washes windows; and she even helped “Santa” put together toys. She also runs occasionally errands – like picking something up at the drugstore on the way to our house or dropping things off at the post office or library for us. She has also helped with art projects and making Valentines.

      • Winter says

        Our nanny does our laundry and puts it away. It’s a game changer. You could give her some ideas of things she could do and ask her to tell you which of them she’d be interested in so she can tell you what she won’t do vs assuming she won’t do it.

  7. Cate says

    I have been posting a lot lately! I guess that’s what two does for you.

    Suggestions on toddler underwear? I know that sounds crazy. We are looking to start potty training probably next weekend and I want to have everything in place! I bought a couple potty books as well and two toilet inserts and a stepstool and one piddle pad. Anything I’m forgetting?

    Yes, as a working mom I prepare by going to amazon prime.

    • CHJ says

      I’d get character underwear that your child will really like. For my son, that’s Thomas the Train, Star Wars, and Paw Patrol. If you want non-character, Old Navy and Gymboree both make cute prints with animals, etc.

      • PatsyStone says

        Character underwear is the ticket for us- superheros. The other morning my husband was getting my son ready for preschool and I hear from the bedroom, “Daddy, don’t take off my beautiful underwear!” He is also psyched to show it to anyone who needs proof he is indeed a big boy.

        It took a LONG time for my son to be even interested in using the potty at all, so don’t stress yourself by putting an arbitrary deadline on it. I decided at some point I didn’t care if he was the last one in preschool in diapers so long as the teachers didn’t, and saved myself a lot of grief. Once their brains and bladders get on message (3.5 for him) it’s a snap.

    • AEK says

      Someone recently recommended Hannah Anderson underwear for toddlers who are potty training. Apparently they are supposed to be a little thicker or even padded so the kiddo can still feel he/she is wet but there’s more time before your floor / furniture gets it.

      I am posting a ton too because I am SO procrastinating on an unpleasant work project…

      • EBMom says

        We have the Hannah Andersson undies in both the training pant style (which is thicker) and the regular styles. Love them both. They are much nicer than the character underwear and are lasting longer.

    • AnonMN says

      My son has eczema and sensitive skin, and we found underwear was a terrible trigger for him. So with that preface, we ended up with Hanna Andersson underwear and it’s been great! I got a ton during their after Christmas sale to ease the cost a bit.

      • NewMomAnon says

        Ooo, that is helpful! I was just about to post asking about underwear for kids with sensitive skin. I swear my kiddo gets diaper rash from wearing her dry undies all day….poor baby.

        She loves the cheap princess undies from Target but I suspect all-cotton would be better.

        • AnonMN says

          the cheap spiderman target undies were a huge hit in our house, but turned his entire bottom red and dry :( So they were promptly hidden once replaced. Hanna does have characters though, and his dry skin cleared up within a few days of switching!

      • jlg says

        hanna andersson undies are the best. all elastic is covered, so no chafing/pinching. their unisex training pants are a great transition from diapers/pull-ups during the day — kid will still be wet but it usually at least saves the shoes & socks! can’t speak for the girls styles but the boys unders briefs have been great. enough colors and cute prints to keep him entertained. they wear incredibly well too — fully expect to use them all for a second kid. this and hanna PJs is one place where i think the extra $$ is 100% worth it to get something truly comfortable and well made.

    • Famouscait says

      I like Old Navy’s toddler undies. I just got my son set that has professions: astronaut, doctor, pirate, etc. rather than days of the week.

      On a related note, I would totally buy the same underwear for myself if I could! How awesome would it be to put on “pirate” underwear for a big day at work?!

    • JTX says

      We have tried the cheap character underwear from Target, as well as undies from Gap, Old Navy, Hanna Andersson and Boden (trunks, not briefs).

      Character underwear from Target – We really dislike these and eventually threw them all away. The fabric is rough and my son says they are itchy and the elastic waistband hurts.

      Gap – We liked the fabric of these, but they didn’t have much stretch and didn’t stay up well. We are still using the ones we bought, but we will not re-buy these.

      Old Navy – These are our second favorite after Hanna Andersson. The fabric is thin but soft. There is a separate elastic waistband that I wish were covered with fabric, but they stay on. Usually much cheaper than HA.

      Hanna Andersson – We LOVE these. They are super soft, thick, and stay up. They are also the cutest, which shouldn’t matter, but it’s true. I bought all of ours 50% off at a brick and mortar HA store.

      Boden – We’ve only tried the trunks, so briefs may be better. The fabric was good and they were available in an adorable print, but they are too big and saggy and they bunch under clothes. This may be true of any trunk-shaped underwear though.

    • Lyssa says

      Characters have been a big hit (particularly when Gramma bought them – I guess it made them more of a special treat). But if your kid is a boy, something similar to what his dad wears is likely to be a big hit, too. Old Navy has some boxer briefs that are really cute, and my son loves to put on “boxers like Daddy wears.” (Husband wears regular boxers, not boxer-briefs, but it’s close enough in his mind, I guess.)

      It just occurred to me that maybe that sounds weird for a girl – “panties like Mommy wears.” Is that weird that that sounds weird to me? The . . . connotations seem different. I feel bad for thinking that.

    • Pigpen's Mama says

      In the middle of potty trainging and we’ve been using the Gerber training pants and ones like that — some are character, which seem to be a bigger hit, others plain white or with a print. They all cotton, thicker material, have an extra layer or two at the crotch, and are cut like briefs. And aren’t as expensive as the Hannah kind! They are thick enough to prevent a total mess in case of an accident, but still feel wet.

      I’ll probably use these even after she’s fully trained, since 1) we have a lot of them and 2) seem more sturdy. For girls at least, some of the character ones were pretty skimpy feeling, almost like disposible underwear. I have a pack from Carter’s that are thinner material, but seem fairly well made.

    • shortperson says

      primary also has good soft underwear. we used the cheap character underwear with instructions to daycare to throw away any poop accidents until she was done training, and are now transitioning to hannas, primary and boden which are softer.

      as for other things, my kid loved the “my potty reward stickers for girls” from amazon. she loved getting an underwear or potty themed sticker after every success. we did not do a rewards chart with prizes, just getting a sticker and sticking it on a piece of paper in the bathroom was joyous enough.

    • NewMomAnon says

      PSA: Hanna undies on sale today! Some of their pj’s too. I also used the discount code BRINGSPRING to get free shipping.

      • Edna Mazur says

        Oh my gosh they have boxer briefs!!! I’m weird in that regular briefs weird me out and boxer briefs for a 3 year old are super hard to find!

    • In House Lobbyist says

      I like the training pants style since they are thicker. I also had some that were lined and kind of water proof that were good for those first underwear wearing outings. I got them on Amazon.

  8. Running Numbers says

    Any long distance runner moms lurking around here that want to talk about distance running and pregnancy? My first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. My second pregnancy resulted in my happy and healthy now 17 month old. I stopped running pretty much right away when I was pregnant with him out of paranoia. I’m now 10.5 weeks pregnant again. I was training for a marathon and found out I was expecting the day after my 14 mile run, which went very smoothly! Together with my doctor, I decided to keep running and just downgrade to the half marathon. Consistent with conventional wisdom, I’m trying to maintain the fitness I had and just not go past that 14 mile mark. I’m very comfortable dialing it back the days I need to, etc. Also, I binge on a lot of burgers and ice cream and am not some super-tiny pregnant woman at all.

    I just got back from the doctor’s office and the nurse I had during the informational part of the visit acted like distance running was the most absurd thing she ever heard. I understand that, but I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who successfully ran distance through even the first part of pregnancy. I’m feeling alone on my little island right now!

    • NewMomAnon says

      And now I have Carrie’s advice to Charlotte from the S&x and the City movie running through my head….

      Honestly, I would ignore the nurse. If your doctor is on board, that’s all that matters. Nurses often have opinions as moms or caregivers that aren’t based in medical research. I had a nurse refuse to give me ibuprofen while I was nursing because “she would never risk that for her kids.” Not medically based, kiddo was getting ibuprofen for teething anyway, just based on her own personal risk assessment as a former bf’ing mom. It may be that this nurse just think it’s a lot of extra work to run long-distance while pregnant and that she wouldn’t do it, which is fine but….not a medical recommendation.

      • Marilla says

        +1. I would talk to the doctor and not worry about the nurse. That sounds like personal judgment (/judginess) rather than an evidence-based medical assessment of risk.

        Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy!

      • Cb says

        I asked the midwife about when to take leave and she told me to put my feet up, don’t exercise too much, and treat myself to tea and cake so I’ve decide to take her advice with a grain of salt.

    • Anonymous says

      My understanding was that running was fine, distance running was not recommended in pregnancy but I can’t locate the info for that. How often are you running a distance like 14 miles? Whether distance running is appropriate or not will totally depend on whether you are a long time frequent distance runner or someone who does it more casually. I’ve generally seen even the pro/semi pro runners cut their runs by about 1/3 in the first trimester and decrease from there.

      • Running Numbers says

        I run 3 or 4 times a week, usually about 4 miles, and then a long run on the weekend of 8-12 miles. That’s the baseline of what is normal for me, but still not exactly common.

        • Anon in NYC says

          I am not a runner, but a friend who was a long-distance runner did something similar during her pregnancy. She dialed down the mileage, listened to her body and her doctor, and eventually stopped when it became too uncomfortable.

        • Anonymous says

          That seems pretty reasonable. I’d be inclined to limit the weekly longer run to 8 miles but I might be more on the cautious side. You’ll also have to up your calorie intake a fair bit to gain 25-35 lbs (jealous!).

          When I dialed back when pregnant, I kept the same frequency and just cut length. Towards the end I was at 1 mile 3 times a week vs. a 3 mile run once a week. Play around with the length/frequency as you progress to see what feels right for you. Keep your doctor in the loop at each appointment as to how much you are running.

    • Famouscait says

      My first pregnancy also ended in miscarriage; my second is now a happy 2.5 yo. I totally understand your fears.

      I’m not a distance runner, but I routinely did hard-core bootcamp class (outdoors, in southern heat and humidity) twice a week until about month six of my second pregnancy. I knew my body and listened to its responses – I imagine you are the same. My instructor always looked nervously at me, but my doc was comfortable with it, as was I.

      Perhaps specifically for your running, you need to make sure you have ID on you and that someone else knows your route and when to expect you back.

      • Running Numbers says

        Awesome! Thrilled to hear about your bootcamp experience! Good job… that is awesome! I always have ID, run with friends, husband knows routes and times. I don’t expect to run much after the 16 – 20 week mark but I know it’s essential for my mental health to keep up my routine for as long as I can safely. I imagine it was the same way for you with bootcamp.

    • Knope says

      The nurse probably looked at you like you were crazy because many women find that even moderate exercise is a chore during pregnancy. But most women also aren’t distance runners either. Pre-pregnancy, I routinely ran races between 10K and 10 miles. I felt pretty sick during my first trimester, and could only do a couple miles at a time. I felt better second tri, but still topped out at 3 miles because I was de-conditioned and heavier. Had to stop running altogether around 24 weeks because it was too uncomfortable in my abdomen and legs. But everyone is different – if you feel ok, I’d keep it up. Just stay hydrated, nourished, and stop if you feel weird pulling/pressure in your abdomen or like your legs are swelling.

      • Anonymous says

        Not a runner, but this was my issue during pregnancy . I was doing intense workouts pre-pregnancy, got totally deconditioned during the first trimester, and then it was very hard to get back into the swing of things during the 2nd and third because of being out of shape/more weight. I’d listen to your doctor and do what you are comfortable with.

    • BTanon says

      Congratulations and best wishes! Agree with the above commenters ie use your judgment, don’t worry about the nurse, and also don’t be surprised if you end up not being able to run through pregnancy in exactly the way you planned. My personal experience was very similar to Knope and Anon 12:10, but yours may be different.

      If you haven’t already, I suggest checking out Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Clapp and Cram. It goes through a ton of data about the topic, and IIRC, the takeaway was pretty much use your judgment but exercise is good. Ask Coach Jenny at Runners World also had some columns on the topic which seemed sensible and not overly alarmist.

    • layered bob says

      I was running 15-ish miles/week, never more than 5 miles at a time pre-pregnancy, so not nearly as much as you. My midwife said it was totally fine to keep running exactly the distances I had been running before, but to pay attention to how I felt. (Maybe she would have said to cut my distance down if I had been running longer distances, I don’t know, but it seemed like her thought was “if you did it pre-pregnancy and it still feels good, keep it up”.)

      I was super wiped out during the 1st tri; I was so tired I could never manage more than 3 miles, and much slower than I had been running. 2nd tri I felt much better, lots of energy, and went back to running my 4-5ish miles 3-4 times a week at close to my previous pace. By about 29-30 weeks I had a lot of SPD and hip discomfort, even with the support belt, and decided to stick with brisk walking for the rest of the pregnancy, but my midwife said there was no “other” reason (beyond my own discomfort) that I couldn’t keep running if I wanted to.

      I did sort-of hot yoga (the studio I went to never got *that* hot, and I sat by the fan/open door) until the day I delivered.

    • mascot says

      My biggest motivator during mile 10 of my (only) half marathon was a woman running ahead of me who was probably 7 months pregnant. You’ve got kindred spirits out there.

      • NewMomAnon says

        I remember a story about a woman who ran an ultra-marathon (or whatever they call the longer-than-a-marathon races), didn’t feel well afterward. and delivered a surprise baby that night. There are definitely kindred spirits.

    • PinkKeyboard says

      I did not because I’m the combo of a slug/snail but my friend who ran regularly ran all through her pregnancy. No problem.

    • GCA says

      Congratulations! I am also a fairly serious hobby jogger, and when I was pregnant a couple of years ago I found http://www.saltyrunning.com and their posts about running through pregnancy. (Full disclosure: I now occasionally blog for them as well.)

      Personal experience: For my first trimester I was a slug because of fatigue/ morning sickness; for the second and third trimesters I picked it up again and was running maybe 3-4 miles a few times a week, and then stopped altogether and switched to walking in my last couple months of pregnancy when running became too uncomfortable.

      Practical tips – get a good support belt. I liked the Gabrialla. And a good handheld water bottle to stay hydrated. Oh, and I had an amazing pair of maternity workout capris from Target that were in constant rotation. Should’ve got 2 or 3 pairs.

      • Anonymous says

        This was my experience too. Except I’d wait on getting a support belt or any kind of support gear. I know some women swear by this stuff, but I never had any need for it in my pregnancies (although I would recommend investing in super-duper sports bras once your size changes, if you have any in any way well endowed…) I also never had specific maternity workout bottoms — I sort of just wore my running shorts below my belly — there was definitely a little bit of tummy exposure by the end, which I’m sure looked pretty hilarious.

    • In House Lobbyist says

      I am not a distance runner but love Zumba. My dr was fine with as long as I kept my heart rate below a certain level. That ended up making me have to take it easy or set out every other song but it was great. I did that until about 6 months when it got too uncomfortable and then switched to water aerobics.

    • Knope says

      One more piece of advice – if/when running gets to be too much for you, switch to swimming, even if you’ve never swam for exercise before. I picked it up at 28 weeks when even the elliptical became too uncomfortable, and I wish I had done it earlier – it did wonders for my back pain and I finally felt like I could really challenge myself again, since on the elliptical I had to limit my speed/resistance because of abdominal discomfort.

      • Anonymous says

        +1! I sprained my ankle terribly at the beginning of my first pregnancy so swimming was a godsend. I never swam outside of my pregnancies but it was such great exercise.

  9. Anon. - Sleep says

    I posted yesterday about my son and CIO. I want to thank everyone sincerely for such thoughtful and supportive comments. We did a dream feed last night at 12:30 and he slept soundly through it – basically sleeping straight through from 7:30-4:45, without the intermittent 3-4:45 wakeups he had been having and no crying at all until he woke up. So we’ll try this for a few weeks and try CIO again when he’s a bit bigger. Just wanted to follow up and thank everyone again.

    • Anonymous says

      We used Candace at district doulas with our first (natural labor with GW Midwives). I really liked her but she was more on the calm/soothing end and I think for my next pregnancy I’ll go with our childbirth class instructor, Ursula Sukinik, who is more upbeat and cheerleader-y. Depends what you’re looking for! I’d meet with a few and see who you click with. I would highly recommend both of those women though.

  11. SBJ says

    Best clothing labels for daycare? I know this is regularly discussed and Name Bubbles and Mabel’s Labels stick in my brain. Preferences? Others?

    • Anon says

      I use NameBubbles sticky clothing labels and love them. Stays on through a million washes but peels off when donating. If you can and if it’s something more durable like a coat, use last name only so you can pass to your future kids. Just got an email with a code for 20% off clothing labels – THINKSPRING

      • SBJ says

        Thanks! NameBubbles ordered. I’ve been relying on a sharpie, but like NewMomAnon says, it’s the bleeding and the annoyance of actually doing it. Stickers just seem easier.

    • anon says

      MeY Decals (or Designs?) from Etsy. I have the stick-on ones and they work well.

    • Momata says

      a sharpie. “Good for you but not for me” on the labels – I really don’t understand them!

      • NewMomAnon says

        Reasons for using stickers instead of sharpie:

        1. I’ve had sharpie bleed after 1-2 washes so it’s unrecognizable. Then the label is unusable for future rewriting. If a sticker falls off in the wash, I can replace it.
        2. Time. It takes me several seconds to locate a sharpie and a flat surface, and another few seconds to write legibly on a small fabric surface. I keep the stickers in a set place and can put one on literally as we’re running out the door.
        3. I can peel the stickers off before donating the clothes.

        • Anon says

          It’s #3 for me. I have a very distinctive last name, so I want to peel off the stickers when I donate. Can’t do that with a Sharpie.

      • Anonymous says

        I only label jackets, a set of extra clothes, and lunch box things, so I use blue painter’s tape and a sharpie. Stays on through the wash; comes of when it’s time to pass on.

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